Euphorbia plant named &#39;BONPRI 9172&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Euphorbia  plant named ‘Bonpri 9172’, characterized by its upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dark green-colored leaves; inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts; and good post-production longevity.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO CLOSELY-RELATED APPLICATIONS

Title: Euphorbia Plant Named ‘Bonpri 9276’

BOTANICAL DESIGNATION

Euphorbia pukherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

‘BONPRI 9172’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEuphorbia plant, an interspecific hybrid botanically known as Euphorbiapulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Bonpri 9172’.

The new Euphorbia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia.The objective of the program is to create and develop new interspecificEuphorbia plants with compact, upright and mounded plant habit andattractive flower bracts.

The new Euphorbia plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofa proprietary selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. exKlotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra identified as code number 574, notpatented. The new Euphorbia plant was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single flowering plant from within a population of plantsof the proprietary selection in a controlled greenhouse environment inYellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia in May, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Euphorbia plant by terminal vegetativecuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Yellow Rock, NewSouth Wales, Australia since June, 2011 has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new Euphorbia plant are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however,any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Bonpri 9172’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Bonpri 9172’ as a new and distinct Euphorbiaplant:

-   -   1. Upright and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   5. Inflorescences with red-colored flower bracts.    -   6. Good post-production longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales,Australia, plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants ofthe parent selection in flower bract color as plants of the parentselection have hot pink-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can be compared to plants of Euphorbiapukherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpri 9276’,disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application filed concurrently. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales,Australia, plants of the new Euphorbia differ primarily from plants of‘Bonpri 9276’ in flower bract color as plants of ‘Bonpri 9276’ have darkpink-colored flower bracts.

Plants of the new Euphorbia can also be compared to plants of Euphorbiapukherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpridepcom’,disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,324. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Yellow Rock, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the newEuphorbia differed primarily from plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Euphorbia had longer and thicker lateral        branches than plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.    -   2. Plants of the new Euphorbia had smaller leaves than plants of        ‘Bonpridepcom’.    -   3. Plants of the new Euphorbia had more inflorescences than        plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.    -   4. Plants of the new Euphorbia had larger inflorescences than        plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’.    -   5. Plants of the new Euphorbia and ‘Bonpridepcom’ in flower        bract color as plants of ‘Bonpridepcom’ have dark red        purple-colored flower bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of thenew Euphorbia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Euphorbia plant. The photograph at the top of the sheetcomprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of‘Bonpri 9172’ grown in a container. The photograph at the bottom of thesheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Bonpri 9172’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used in the aforementioned photographs and herewith described indetail were grown during the autumn and winter in 12-cm containers in anoutdoor nursery in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan and under cultural practicestypical of commercial Euphorbia production. During the production of theplants, day temperatures averaged 23° C. and night temperatures averaged13° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs and thedescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, FourthEdition, 2007, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex    Klotzsch×Euphorbia cornastra ‘Bonpri 9172’.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary    selection of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch×Euphorbia    cornastra identified as code number 574, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About ten days at 18° C. to            25° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About twelve days at 16° C.            to 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three            weeks at 18° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four            weeks at 16° C. to 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit and form.—Upright and mounded plant habit;            inverted triangle; inflorescences positioned above the            foliar plane; moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 22.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 32 cm.        -   Lateral branch description.—Branching habit: Freely            branching habit, about six lateral branches develop per            plant. Length: About 15.5 cm. Diameter: About 3.3 mm.            Internode length: About 1.6 cm. Aspect: Mostly upright to            outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely            pubescent. Color: Close to 137D.        -   Leaf description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:            About 5.8 cm. Width: About 3.8 cm. Shape: Ovate. Apex:            Acute. Base: Rounded. Margin: Entire; slightly undulate.            Venation pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Texture, upper and            lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Developing            leaves, upper surface: Darker than N137A. Developing leaves,            lower surface: Close to 137C. Fully developed leaves, upper            surface: Close to N137A; venation, close to 144C. Fully            developed leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; venation,            close to 144D. Petioles: Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter:            About 1.7 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 144A; towards the            base, slightly tinged with close to 59B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound            corymbs of cyathia with numerous flower bracts subtending            the cyathia; inflorescences positioned above the foliar            plane.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About eight inflorescences            develop per plant.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 30 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.6 cm.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants typically flower during the            autumn and winter in Japan; inflorescence initiation and            development can also be induced under artificial long            nyctoperiod and short photoperiod conditions; early            flowering habit, plants flower about seven weeks under            natural season conditions in Japan.        -   Post-production longevity.—Good post-production longevity;            plants of the new Euphorbia maintain good substance and            bract color for about six weeks.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 26. Length,            largest bracts: About 6.8 cm. Width, largest bracts: About            3.9 cm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Aspect: Mostly horizontal. Venation pattern: Pinnate,            reticulate. Color: Transitional bracts, upper surface: Close            to 144A, N137A and 63A. Transitional bracts, lower surface:            Close to 137C. Developing bracts, upper surface: Darker than            N57A. Developing bracts, lower surface: Close to N57C. Fully            expanded bracts, upper surface: Close to 45A; venation,            close to 176B. Fully expanded bracts, lower surface: Close            to 65A; towards the margins, close to 65D; venation, close            to 144B. Flower bract petioles: Length: About 9.3 mm.            Diameter: About 1.2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 144A tinged            with close to N57B. Color, lower surface: Close to 144A.        -   Cyathia.—Quantity per corymb: About 13. Diameter of cyathia            cluster: About 2.6 cm. Height, individual cyathium: About            7.2 mm. Diameter, individual cyathium: About 5.8 mm. Shape,            individual cyathium: Globose; sessile. Color: Close to 144B.            Nectaries: Quantity per cyathium: One. Size: About 1.7 mm by            3.2 mm. Color: Close to 150C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2.3 mm. Diameter: About 1.9 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Mostly upright to outward.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per cyathium:            Numerous. Anther shape: Lanceolate or globose. Anther            length: About 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm. Anther color: Close to N57B.            Amount of pollen: None observed. Pistils: Plants of the new            Euphorbia have not been observed to develop pistils. Seeds            and fruits: Seed and fruit production has not been observed            on plants of the new Euphorbia.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have not been    shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Euphorbia    plants.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Euphorbia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 8° C. to about    40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Euphorbia plant named ‘Bonpri 9172’as illustrated and described.